Australian captain Michael Clarke says he'd play under Steve Smith if asked

Injury-dogged Australian captain Michael Clarke says he'd have no problem playing under the Test leadership of stand-in skipper Steve Smith.

Furiously rehabbing to prove his fitness for the World Cup, Clarke has found himself battling on another front following a report claiming teammates had moved on and preferred the leadership of the younger Smith.

"I'd like to know where it's coming from," he said. "It's obviously disappointing because I haven't been around the team ... for the last seven weeks now I've been away from the group, so it is disappointing that people are writing that, but they are obviously getting their information from somewhere.

"I speak to all my teammates regularly .. (stand-in ODI skipper) George Bailey, Steve Smith, Darren Lehmann - the captains and the coaches - I will speak to regularly."

Having made 50 in a Sydney club game on Saturday in his comeback from hamstring surgery, Clarke is now slated to play for a Cricket Australia XI in a practice one-dayer against Bangladesh in Brisbane on Thursday as he races to be fit for this month's World Cup.

The 33-year-old has been given until Australia's second pool match against Bangladesh on February 21 to prove his fitness for the tournament.